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N.E.W. Simple Conversion/Creating Vehicles
These are rules for making vehicle stat blocks. These rules use N.E.W.'s starship manual as a base, but modify the system heavily for use in this conversion game. The Basics of a Statblock The most important things to note about a ship should be listed at the top of its statblock. Below is an example of this, with explanations as to what each value means. * Class - An estimate of the size of a vehicle, based on its mass. * Designation - A classification that describes the vehicle's purpose, and determines many of its statistics. * Scale - A broad size category. There are three options for this: N (infantry-scale), V (vehicle-scale), and SS (starship scale). * Armor Class - A measure of how hard it is to hit the vehicle (not a measure of how hard it is to deal damage). * Hull Hit Points - The durability of the vehicle's hull and superstructure. When this is reduced to 0, the vehicle begins to explode. * CPU Points - A measure of the state of the vehicle's systems and electronics. When this is reduced to 0 or lower, the vehicle is disabled. * Initiative - This is the dice pool that this vehicle uses when rolling for initiative. Bigger ships have much smaller pools than smaller ships. * E-Defense - A measure of how hard it is to hack the vehicle, or to damage its computer systems electronically. Electronic attacks must beat this ''value to hit the vehicle, instead of the Armor Class. * 'Missile Defense' - A measure of the vehicle's anti-missile defense. Missiles must beat ''this ''value to hit the vehicle, instead of the Armor Class. * 'Armor SOAK - 'Any damage that penetrates the vehicle's shields (if it has any) is automatically reduced by an amount equal to this value. * 'Speed '''- A measure of the vehicle's speed. This is a bit arbitrary, and can change depending on the scale of the battlemap. * Shield SOAK ''- When an attack hits the vehicle, the attack's damage is automatically reduced by the SOAK value of the shield that it hit. There are 4 separate shield arrays on every vehicle: Fore, Aft, Port, and Starboard. When creating a statblock from scratch, things must be done in the proper order, to ensure balance. Here is a checklist that outlines what steps to take when creating a vehicle statblock. # Decide the size of the vehicle by choosing its CLASS. # Assign the vehicle a DESIGNATION appropriate to its intended purpose. # Determine its HP and CPU values based on its class and designation. # Decide what SUBSYSTEMS will be included on the vehicle, within the limits set by the designation. # Add any UPGRADES to the vehicle, within the limits set by the designation. # Determine SPEED, ARMOR CLASS, and INITIATIVE based on the vehicle's upgrades and the Class table. # Add WEAPONS, if the craft's designation allows it, and upgrade them, within the limits set by the designation. # Note CARGO capacity, or COMPLEMENT of troops, fighters, or shuttles, if applicable. # Make any minor adjustments you'd like, then write the statblock. Assigning Class To assign a class to a vehicle, you must know its average tonnage, in metric tons. This can either be estimated, or calculated through using the vehicle's volume and density. Since in most cases we don't know what a starship's density is, we can assign a value between the density of the space shuttle (125 kg/m³) and the Apollo command module'' (1000 kg/m³). We will make a generalization and say the average density is 750 kg/m³. ''(Note: EVE Online estimates its densities close to 200, and Star Trek estimates some of their ships as being close to 4000.) * ''Tonnage = in kg. / 1000 * Weight = ''in m³ x 750 Once we know the tonnage, we can look at the Class table below. Hit Points & CPU A vehicle's hit points and CPU are determined by its class and by its designation. A vehicle's designation also confers a special benefit unique to its type. * ''Hull Hit Points. ''Use the hit die granted by the vehicle's designation, then refer to the Hit Points column of the Class table above to calculate the total HP. * ''Base CPU Points. ''Use the flat CPU value granted by the vehicle's designation, then multiply it by the vehicle's CPU Multiplier, found in a column of the Class table above. This is the Base CPU value. Upgrades such as ''CPU Reinforcement ''can add onto this value. Consult the table below for different designations. Subsystems & Upgrades A ship comes without any sort of weapons, systems, upgrades, or hyperdrive. These things need to be added onto a ship to fully outfit it. Each ship has a number of "Hardpoints" as shown on the Class table. These hardpoints are essentially empty slots, where weapons, systems, and upgrades can be installed. Subsystems Subsystems are upgrades that can be targeted by electronic attacks (or ballistic / missile attacks, in most cases). Each of these costs 1 hardpoint, unless otherwise specified. * ''Aerodynamics. '' This vehicle uses wings to generate lift within an atmosphere. This requires a vehicle to maintain a minimum speed of 10, or its' Class, whichever is higher, unless it is landing. * ''Bridge (Cost 0). ''This vehicle has a command deck from which it is controlled. Destroying a vehicle's bridge causes it to go out of control. This subsystem is only available to vehicles of Class 2 or larger. * ''ECM System. '' This vehicle has an electronic countermeasure system that protects it against missiles and electronic attacks. It adds +2 to both its Missile Defense and its E-Defense. * ''Hangar Bay. ''Allows a ship to receive, carry, and dock with other ships, fighters, and shuttlecraft. Each hangar bay installed allows a vehicle to carry a number of fighters and/or shuttlecraft equal to 2x its class. * ''Hyperdrive. ''Necessary for a ship to go to FTL (Faster-Than-Light) speed. Typically not installed on fightercraft. * ''Remote Repair Bay. ''A support system, this bay allows a crewmember to take the Repair action targeting any ship within 4 hexes. The repair bay can only be used once per round. * ''Repulsorlifts. '' This vehicle uses technology to defy gravity, and need not be aerodynamic to fly or float. If the vehicle is smaller than Class 2, this has no additional cost. Otherwise, the vehicle's actions per round are reduced by [its Class x 0.25, round up) while using the repulsorlifts. (This upgrade can be flavored instead as helicopter rotors, or any other hovering technology.) * ''Sensor Array (Cost 0). ''This is standard equipment for any ship or vehicle, though custom-built or small vehicles may deem a sensor array unnecessary or too costly. If you choose to forgo a sensor array on your ship, you may choose one of the other subsystems listed here for free. * ''Shields. ''Designed to absorb energy attacks and reduce the impact of ballistic attacks, shields are standard on most warships. Taking this subsystem grants a number of shield points equal to the vehicle's base SOAK, or 4, whichever is higher. You may assign these points to any of the 4 shield arrays (fore, aft, port, starboard) - the SOAK value of a shield array is equal to the number of shield points it has. It is recommended to distribute them evenly. * ''Sublight Drive (Cost 0). '' These engines are necessary to maneuver in space, or in a planet's gravitational influence. * ''Tactical Command Center. ''This "Tac-Com" is a specialized bridge is used to control an entire battlefield. As long as this vehicle uses an action each turn to coordinate allies, any allied vehicles within 10 hexes gain advantage on initiative and attack rolls. This does not stack with other Tac-Com centers. * ''Walker Drive Shaft. ''This is the core of a walker's movement system, and is not compatible with a Sublight Drive, Repulsorlifts, Hyperdrive, or Aerodynamics. Other Vehicle Upgrades * ''Cloaking Device (Cost 3 hardpoints). ''A vehicle may conceal itself as an action for a number of hours per day equal to it's class. This device renders the vehicle invisible, granting it advantage on Hide checks, and also imposes disadvantage on any sensor checks made to detect its presence. While cloaked, the vehicle cannot take any action that affects another creature, vehicle, or vessel. Scans do not count as such an action. * ''Concealed Weapons. ''Choose any non-Heavy weapons on board the vehicle. These weapons may be concealed, imposing -2d6 to checks made to detect the presence of weapons and making them invisible from the exterior of the vehicle. Any number of concealed weapons may be deployed or retracted as an action. * ''CPU Reinforcement. Increase the vehicle's CPU by 50% of its base value. This upgrade may be taken more than once. * Drone. ''This vehicle needs no sentient crew whatsoever. Only vehicles of Class 2 and lower may take this upgrade. * ''Extra Armament. ''This vehicle may install one extra weapon system. * ''Heavy Armor. (Prq: Standard Armor) ''This vehicle gains an additional armor SOAK equal to one quarter of the vehicle's base SOAK (round down, min 1). * ''Quick Launch. This vehicle may take the Launch action twice per round instead of once. * ''Seeker. ''This equipment is created to find what is hidden. Any cloaked vehicle does not gain advantage on hide checks, and must re-roll a hide check every time it takes an action while within a Seeker's sensor range. * ''Standard Armor. ''This upgrade grants an armor SOAK equal to half the vehicle's base SOAK (round down, min 1). * ''Superior Propulsion. ''This vehicle adds +1 to its base Speed. This upgrade may be taken more than once. * ''Superior Sensors. ''This vehicle adds +5 to its sensor range. * ''Superior Shields. '' * ''Superior Systems (Costs 3 hardpoints). ''This increases the effectiveness of the vehicle's computer, allowing it to assist in targeting, scanning, and any other operations. While the vehicle's CPU is above 0, its crew may add +1d6 to all checks made using the vehicle's systems or weapons. Weapons Changing the weapon statistics on a vehicle is one of the easiest ways for the DM to balance vehicle combat, so these statistics and rules are more guidelines than anything. Each designation has a limit on how many weapons it can carry. It is measured by Weapon Points - the more points, the heavier armed the ship can be. See the table above for each designation's value. Weapon points are notated as a multiple of the ship's class, or as a flat value, or as both. When both are included in the same cell, you may choose whichever limit is highest at your vehicle's class level. To create a weapon for the vehicle, choose the weapon type, assign it to a firing arc (bow, aft, port, starboard), and upgrade it if desired. Pay the combined cost in weapon points. * Weapon Types: ** Turbolaser. Cost 3, Range 8, 1d6 fire. ** Railgun. Cost 5, Range 10, 1d6 piercing. ** Ion cannon. ''Cost 6, Range 7, 1d8 ion.'' ** Laser cannon. ''Cost 1, Range 6, 1d6 fire.'' ** Laser blaster. ''Cost 0.5,'' Range 4, 1d4 fire. ** Missile Launcher. ''Cost 3, Range 14, 2d8 piercing.'' ** Cluster Missiles. ''Cost 3, Range 12, 5d4 piercing.'' ** Ion Torpedo. ''Cost 8, Range 10, 2d10 ion.'' ** Bomb Dispenser. ''Cost 3, Range 4, 4d10 fire.'' * Weapon Upgrades: ** Multiple Barrels. ''Cost 1 / barrel. Add up to 7 barrels on a single weapon. Each barrel added increases the weapon's damage by 1 die. ** '''Heavy. 'Cost 4. ''Double the range of a weapon, and increase it's damage die by 1 level. ** '''Banked. 'Cost 1 / weapon. ''' You may "bank" two or more weapons of the same type that have the same firing arc. This means that firing all weapons at once requires 1 action, and you only roll 1 attack roll. The damage of every weapon is applied on a hit. ** '''Turret. ''Cost 2 / weapon. '' '''This weapon can access any firing arc. ** '''Twin-Linked. ''Cost 0. This upgrade is purely for flavor. You may take 1 weapon system and divide it into as many as 4 pieces. No statistical change occurs. (e.g. an X-wing fighter has four twin-linked cannons, but they count as 1 weapon.) ** '''Swivel. 'Cost 1 / weapon. ''' This weapon can access two adjacent firing arcs. * ''Point Defenses. This is a series of weapon emplacements that offer cover fire against nearby craft, and can shoot down missiles that make their way too close. Only vehicles of Class 2 and higher may take this weapon system. It confers a +2 Missile Defense bonus, and targets of this ship's choice that end their turns in range automatically take the damage indicated. ** 'Class Turbolaser batteries. Cost 6, Range 8, 2d4+1 fire. '' ** 'Class Light laser cannons.' ''Cost 2, Range 4, 1d4 fire. '' ** 'Class EMP dischargers.' ''Cost 4, Range 2, 1d6+2 lightning. '' * 'Tractor Beam. 'Usually used for manipulating cargo, this system is often installed on patrol and interception craft as well. To use the beam, roll a 4d6 attack roll as an action. Any targets of the beam wishing to resist must make a Speed (Engineering) check against this attack roll. If a target succeeds on this roll, it is not affected. A disabled target automatically fails this roll.� Targets that fail may be moved 1 hex in a direction of your choosing, so long as they remain within range. ** '''Tractor beam (Class 20+).' Cost 8, Range 5, up to 10 Class levels worth of target/s. ** Tractor beam (Class 10+). Cost 6, Range 4, up to 5 Class levels worth of target/s. ** Tractor beam (Class 2+). Cost 4, Range 3, up to 3 targets of Class 1e or smaller. Cargo Capacity Once all of the above has been decided, we can calculate cargo capacity. Complement If the ship has troop capacity or a hangar bay, you will need to note the types of units the ship is designed to hold, as well as the maximum capacity for each type of unit. Category:Sci-Fi